Christmas Fics 2015
by DemiDoots
Summary: A collection of Christmas and winter themed one-shots featuring romantic and platonic ships from Haikyuu!, Kuroko no Basket, Free!, Yowapeda, and Diamond no Ace.
1. UshiOi (Haikyuu)

This was just sad. It was a little funny at first, but now it was mostly just depressing.

Oikawa stood at his window, peeking out from behind the curtain, and watched Ushijima pace around in the snow while his packed bags sat on the curb gathering white fluff. While Oikawa had no plans to go home for the holidays since Iwa-chan wasn't going to be able to make it home and his brother and sister-in-law had plans with her family, it looked like Ushiwaka had been all set to go back to Miyagi.

Since he'd gotten a part-time job to pay the extra in his tuition for a campus apartment instead of a dorm room (because, really, who wanted to share an already cramped room with another person?), getting snowed in over Christmas wasn't that big of a deal for Oikawa. He could just walk to the convenience store for any groceries he might need. There were plenty enough surrounding the college campus. But Oikawa _knew_ that Ushiwaka lived in the dorms. He distinctly remembered pitying they boy's poor roommate. And the dorms closed over breaks, requiring all students to find housing elsewhere.

Oikawa could only guess at what had happened to put Ushiwaka out in the snow, pacing the slippery sidewalk and making several calls. Either way, watching his university teammate-something he was almost loathe to even acknowledge-occasionally slip on patches of ice before catching himself had been Oikawa's sadistic little pleasure for the past several minutes. At least, it was until Ushiwaka looked up and saw him standing in his window.

"Shit," Oikawa swore as he quickly ducked back behind the wall. Well, damn. Ushiwaka had definitely seen him. They'd made eye contact. Now it was just a question of how nice Oikawa wanted to be. He _could_ pretend that he hadn't seen anything. But he knew he _should_ at least check and see if Ushiwaka was okay.

Groaning at the decision he could practically hear his mother pushing him to make, Oikawa padded over to his front door, slid the chain, flipped the deadbolt, and opened up to the freezing dark Christmas Eve night. "What seems to be the problem, Ushiwaka-chan?" He called out in a voice sweet enough to make even him almost cringe.

Ushijima looked up at the nickname that he'd given up trying to correct Oikawa on. Lifting his phone, he answered back, "I was on my way to the airport when I got a text alert that my flight had been cancelled."

There was a moment of silence except for the soft sound of the continued snow accumulation, and in those otherwise quiet few seconds, Oikawa was screaming internally. Really, it took all of his willpower not to stomp his foot and throw a small tantrum right on his doorstep. _Why_ did he have to open the door and ask? _Why_ did he have to do the decent thing? He could have just pretended that he'd never seen Ushiwaka out in the snow and cold. He could have just gone to bed. Ushiwaka was a big boy. He was surely capable of finding a hotel on his own, right? In the snow. Late at night. On foot. On Christmas Eve.

Tilting his head back with what was every bit a long-suffering sigh, Oikawa stepped to the side of his doorway and waved the taller boy in towards his apartment. "Get your bags and come inside," he offered. "I can't very well let the ace freeze to death on Christmas Eve."

Surprise kept him where he was for all of the few seconds it took for Oikawa's look to turn impatient. He may not have been the best at reading moods, but after years of knowing each other, he was at least aware that Oikawa wasn't particularly fond of him. Quickly brushing the snow off of his bags, Ushijima carefully made his way up the sidewalk and inside Oikawa's warm apartment. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah," Oikawa waved him off as he took the bags from Ushijima's hands and put them off to the side for the time being. "Shoes off, I'll get you some slippers. You can hang your coat up on that hook," he said before giving Ushiwaka a quick once over. He'd been outside long to pick up a decent amount of snow. "Actually, if you have a change of clothes in you bag, you can use my bath. You'll catch a cold at this rate."

Again, Ushijima wasn't sure what to say in the situation, so he settled for nodding in appreciation with a quick "Thank you" as he grabbed one of his bags and followed Oikawa's instructions down the hall and to the left.

Oikawa was reclined on his couch, feet propped on the edge of his slightly cluttered coffee table, when Ushiwaka finally made his way back into the living room. The ace was in a fresh set of clothes and still working on towel-drying his hair.

 _To: Iwa-chan [21:53]  
_ _He's back_

It took almost no time for the phone in his hand to buzz with a response.

 _From: Iwa-chan [21:54]  
_ _I still can't believe you let him in. Christmas miracle?_

 _To: Iwa-chan [21:54]  
_ _Doubt it. Probably a lapse in judgement_

Slipping his phone into his pocket, Oikawa pushed himself onto his feet. "You just sit down there, Ushiwaka-chan," he said as he pointed to one end of the couch. "I'll make something warm to drink." Oikawa had already passed Ushiwaka in his hasty retreat to his small kitchen when he heard the taller man sit down. He really wasn't sure how to just sit next to Ushijima Wakatoshi without being snarky, so until he figured it out, he was going to stall.

Saucepan, cocoa powder, sugar, pinch of salt, milk. Heat and stir. Make sure everything is dissolved. No lumps. Don't scorch. Watch for steam. Turn off the heat. Add vanilla. Stir again. Pour into mugs. Clean up the spill on the counter. Where'd he put those little marshmallows? Checking his phone before he picked up the mugs, Oikawa saw that he really hadn't killed as much time as he'd hoped.

"Here you go," Okiawa offered with his best plastic smile. He set Ushiwaka's mug on the coffee table before turning it so that the handle was facing the left for the lefty's convenience. "Hot cocoa a la Oikawa."

Picking up the offered drink, Ushijima looked at the slightly melted marshmallows as he asked, "Isn't it a little late for something this sweet?"

"Oh, dear lord," Oikawa breathed as he sat back down on his end of the couch. "Do you have somewhere you need to be in the morning?"

"Not anymore."

"Then staying up late and sleeping in a little isn't going to hurt anything, is it?"

Ushijima frowned. "A regular sleep cycle is important."

Stopping short of his first sip, Oikawa tilted his head back and sighed in a quiet bid for the mental strength to make it through the night. "Fine, Ushiwaka-chan. Then don't drink it. You're a big boy and make your own decisions."

Ushijima was quiet for a moment, watching Oikawa's profile as he sipped his cocoa and pulled out his phone to text someone again. Rubbing his thumb along the smooth surface of his mug and feeling the heat of the drink inside, he decided since it was a special occasion, he was stranded, and it would be best not to offend his host, that he would enjoy his drink for now and worry about correcting any disturbance in his sleep schedule later. With a careful test sip so as not to burn his mouth, Ushijima licked a little marshmallow foam from his top lip before he said, "It's very good."

Withholding his surprise that Ushiwaka had actually given in, Oikawa lifted his chin a little and preened, "I know." His mother's recipe was the one thing he'd been determined to perfect before leaving home. He could order takeout for food, but there was no replacing some things. And since Ushiwaka had decided to join him in a small bit of holiday spirit, Oikawa decided to share in one of his traditions. "Do you watch Christmas specials, Ushiwaka-chan?" When Ushiwaka looked at him in question, he explained, "Iwa-chan and I have watched the same specials together since we were kids, but I'm was watching them on my own this year." Reaching for the remote, Oikawa turned on his TV and the old stop-motion animation specials were playing just like they'd been when he turned the TV off earlier, though it was a different movie now.

"I watched these growing up, too," Ushijima told him with a small, nostalgic smile. Focus now on the TV, he took another sip of his cooling cocoa.

Oikawa tried to play it cool as he picked up his phone again and tried to get a picture to send to Iwa-chan. He just couldn't get past the _weird_ of the whole situation. Bringing up his front-facing camera, what Iwa-chan often called "selfie mode," Oikawa acted like he was taking a selfie of himself drinking his cocoa but fiddled with the angle so that Ushiwaka was in the background of the shot, because _oh god_ he was smiling. His thumb had just tapped the capture button when he noticed Ushiwaka looking at him in the picture and he nearly drowned in his cocoa.

Sputtering and trying not to spill his drink, Oikawa set his mug on the table before using his fingers to wipe the cocoa and marshmallow foam off of his face.

"Is that for Iwaizumi?" Ushiwaka asked gesturing to the picture still displayed on Oikawa's phone screen.

Oikawa looked at the picture and immediately frowned. "It _was_." Because there was no way in hell he was sending anything less than perfection to Iwa-chan, and him splashing cocoa onto his face didn't make that cut.

It took a while but the awkwardness of the whole situation gradually eased up. It definitely wasn't the comfort that friends would share, but the tension wasn't as thick as it usually was between them. Oikawa thought it had to be Rudolph. It was too hard to be serious while watching a little reindeer become friends with an elf who just wanted to be a dentist. Before he knew it, he was even humming along with their little songs like he always did, and Ushiwaka's face seemed to have just adopted that little grin.

When the second special was wrapping up and the credits were rolling, Oikawa's phone buzzed and he moved to check it.

 _From: Iwa-chan [00:02]  
_ _Merry Christmas, Oikawa_

Oikawa smiled. Iwa-chan was always the first one to tell him Merry Christmas.

 _To: Iwa-chan [00:02]  
_ _Merry Christmas, Iwa-chan~_

Standing to stretch out his back, Oikawa picked up his and Ushiwaka's discarded cocoa mugs before heading to the kitchen to run water in them. Dishes could wait until the morning. His mother would have a fit.

Without a word to his guest, he went to his bedroom to rummage around for some extra pillows and blankets before returning to the living room. He already knew that Ushiwaka was too tall to actually fit on the couch, but the way he saw it, he'd already done his good deed for the night by letting him in the house. He wasn't giving up his bed.

"This should make the couch a little more comfortable," Oikawa said as he handed off the small stack of bedding to Ushijima.

"Thank you," Ushijima nodded.

It really hadn't as bad as he'd expected, sharing his space with Ushiwaka. Weird and a little awkward, but not terrible. "Well, goodnight," Oikawa said before taking a step back with the intent of beating a retreat to his room, but he paused halfway through his turn. "And, uh, Merry Christmas, Ushiw-Wakatoshi-chan." There it was. There was a Christmas miracle for Iwa-chan.

Ushijima had no clue what to say. For the first time that he could remember, Oikawa had called him by his proper name, even if he was being a little familiar and still added a -chan. "Merry Christmas, Oikawa. And goodnight."

Oikawa nodded firmly once, feeling much more awkward than he had a moment ago, and finished his retreat before Ushiwaka had a chance to notice or question the heat that was slowly but surely darkening his cheeks.


	2. AoKise (KnB)

_To: Satsuki [16:22]_  
 _hey. thanks_

 _From: Satsuki [16:28]_  
 _Oh! What a nice surprise! It'd be nicer if I knew why you were thanking me though?_

 _To: Satsuki [17:12]_  
 _my secret santa present_

 _From: Satsuki [17:15]_  
 _It's sweet that you'd actually thank me, but I wasn't your Secret Santa this year._

 _To: Satsuki [17:16]  
_ _? you're the only one it could've been_

 _From: Satsuki [17:16]  
_ _Not necessarily~_

 _To: Satsuki [17:17]  
_ _who the hell else would know about this_

 _To: Satsuki [17:17]  
_ _you told whoever it was_

 _From: Satsuki [17:17]  
_ _Good job~ Your Santa asked for an idea and I thought it would be perfect!_

 _To: Satsuki [17:20]  
_ _so who was it_

 _From: Satsuki [17:21]  
_ _I can't tell you! That's the point of *Secret* Santa!_

 _To: Satsuki [17:22]  
_ _jfc we already traded presents. what's it matter now? tell me_

 _From: Satsuki [17:22]  
_ _Nope! Figure it out yourself~_

 _To: Satsuki [17:22]  
_ _gdi Satsuki just tell me_

 _From: Satsuki [17:23]  
_ _Merry Christmas, Dai-chan!_

Aomine threw his phone to the side since Satsuki had decided not to be any help. He'd finally gotten his present-a vintage gaming system he'd had as a kid and spent many of his sick days playing-hooked up to his TV and working. An assortment of compatible games were spread out around him as he tried to figure out what he wanted to play first.

Even after high school, the Generation of Miracles and a few others who'd come to be closely tied to them had kept in touch. Most had ended up in or around Tokyo, so they'd made it something of a tradition to meet up for dinner together during the week either just before or just after Christmas. It hadn't taken long for someone to suggest that they start doing Secret Santa gift exchanges, and rules had been set in place to make sure that things actually stayed _secret_. Each year it seemed like a new rule was added to keep the anonymity of the whole thing. Aomine actually thought it had gotten a little out of hand, but he was always overruled when he tried to voice his opinion.

All of the gifts had to be wrapped in plain brown shipping paper and had to be wrapped at a gift shop. It was always obvious who wrapped what when they'd done it themselves. They all knew each other's handwriting, so handwritten tags were out. Labels with the recipient's name had in a basic font had to be printed off and taped to the top of the box. And since they went to the same restaurant every year, they'd even gotten the staff in on it. Everyone left their gifts up front with the host or hostess who would then distribute the presents as everyone left.

After all of that, it was still sometimes clear who'd bought what. Which is exactly why Aomine had been sure that Satsuki had been his Secret Santa that year. Literally nobody else knew he'd had this system as a kid, and they certainly didn't know his favorite games. He'd been trying to track one down for a while, but each one that he found was crazy expensive and was usually missing the connection cords or only had one controller (usually damaged) or had any other number of things wrong with it.

Finally deciding on a 16-bit basketball game he'd been pretty good at once upon a time, Aomine blew into the cartridge and grinned at the nostalgia of it all. He'd try to pester Satsuki into telling him who his Santa was later. Right now, he had a game to play.

* * *

"Pardon the intrusion," Kise sang as he closed the door to Aomine's apartment behind him and toed off his shoes. He quickly followed Aomine into the living room, smiling happily as he asked, "So how was your Christmas, Aominecchi?"

"Same old, same old," Aomine answered as he stretched and flopped down on his couch. "Went and saw my parents until Satsuki dragged me over to see her family. What about you?"

"I went home and got to see my sister's baby!" Kise lit up at the memory as he pulled out his phone and began scrolling back through his pictures. "Look, look! He was so chubby and soft. Look at those round cheeks," he cooed as he pushed his phone towards Aomine. "Mom said he looks just like I did when I was a baby. I wonder if he'll grow up to look like me too."

Aomine snorted at the thought as he mumbled, "Poor kid."

"Don't be rude!" Kise cried as he shoved at Aomine's shoulder and his friend laughed. "We haven't seen each other since our Christmas dinner with everyone and this is how you treat me?" It was true though. Between Kise's modeling and Aomine's practice schedule, they didn't have many free days where they could hang out.

Sitting up a little from where Kise had pushed him, Aomine said, "That reminds me. Do you know who your Secret Santa was?"

"Hm?" Kise hummed as he thought back to the gift he'd received. "I don't know for sure, but I think it was Kurokocchi. Why?"

"Shit. Doesn't really help me. I already knew Tetsu wasn't mine." Aomine sighed. "I'm still trying to figure out who my Santa was. I was _sure_ it was Satsuki, but she swears it wasn't her. Just said she gave whoever it was the idea."

Kise perked up at the topic and tried to keep his excitement to an appropriate level as he asked, "So what'd you get, Aominecchi?"

Aomine grinned as he stood and walked over to the cabinet stand beneath his TV. It didn't take him long to pull out the gaming console and get everything plugged up. Flipping his TV over to the appropriate setting, he grabbed an extra controller before looking back at Kise and asking, "Wanna play?"

"Sure!" Kise grabbed a couple of pillows from the couch before he made himself comfortable in the floor. "So this is what you got? Seems kinda old."

"Shut up," Aomine grumped as he sifted through his box of games for something two-player. "It's _vintage_ and just like the one I had as a kid. I'm also about to kick your ass at Mario."

Kise watched Aomine blow into the game cartridge with the biggest grin he'd seen on his friend in a while. "So you like it even though it's old?"

"Hell yeah," Aomine said as though that should have been obvious. Like, why _wouldn't_ he enjoy this?

"And you don't know who gave it to you?"

"Nope, and Satsuki refused to tell me." Aomine went about selecting the two-player option and then grabbed Mario for himself. "I know it wasn't cheap or easy to track it down, especially with all these games. And whoever it was would have to be comfortable enough to ask Satsuki what to get me." He paused at he waited for Kise to select his character before they started the first level. "Best guess I have right now is Akashi. Maybe."

"Hmm, maybe," Kise agreed in a calm voice. He _wanted_ to tell Aomine so badly it almost hurt. He wanted to tell him that he was the one who'd called Momocchi for the perfect idea. He was the one who'd spent weeks tracking down everything for the perfect gift. He was the one who wanted to make Aomine smile like this. He was the one who loved him this much, cared this much.

But he kept quiet instead.

Kise wasn't sure if it was nerves or just outright cowardice, but he _couldn't_ tell Aomine yet. He couldn't tell one of his best friends that he'd been in love with him since they were just kids. Because things were good as they were right now. They hung out on their off days and things were simple and easy. Aomine smiled at him-smug as it usually was-and there wasn't any awkwardness or tension.

So as much as Kise wanted break the rules and blurt out that he was quite possibly the best Secret Santa ever, he bit his tongue instead. He didn't want to risk things changing. Not yet. Maybe one day, but for now he was okay with just lying in Aomine's floor as his friend made fun of his hand-eye coordination with the old video game.

He'd make extra sure to thank Momocchi later though, for the gift idea and for keeping his secret for the time being.


	3. IwaOi (Haikyuu)

It had started as an ambush. Always arriving to morning practice together had made them predictable.

Apparently Matsukawa and Hanamaki had been lying in wait for them just around the corner of the gym. There had been no warning on the incoming barrage, just a ball of firmly packed fluff to the side of Oikawa's face. And it only took Oikawa's startled scream to put Iwaizumi on his guard.

Using his school bag, he was able to shield himself from a faceful of snow as he pulled Oikawa to the side where they could crouch down behind some manicured bushes. "Hey," Iwaizumi said to get Oikawa's attention on him instead of where he was trying to shake the snow out of his scarf. "Put your gloves on. We're gonna _destroy_ them."

"Oh? And who made Iwa-chan team captain?" Oikawa asked even as he set his school and practice bags aside and dug out his warm gloves.

"The one that doesn't _shriek_ becomes captain by default."

"I didn't shriek!" Oikawa pouted. "It was cold and I was caught off guard."

"It was a shriek," Iwaizumi confirmed as he started gathering up snow and making a small stockpile of snowballs. Turning to look at Oikawa, he ordered, "You start making snowballs and cover me. I have a better throwing arm, so I'm going on the offensive."

With a look far more serious than the situation called for, Oikawa gave a mock salute and an "Aye aye!" as he started making snowballs for himself and Iwa-chan.

It wasn't long after Iwaizumi ran off with several snowballs in hand that shouting was heard. Makki-chan if Oikawa had to guess. Part of him wanted to pity his fellow third years because he'd been having snowball fights with Iwa-chan since they were kids, and he knew exactly how competitive Iwa-chan could get. He also didn't usually pull his punches when it came to pelting his opponents with snow.

Oikawa heard the gym doors open behind him before Kindaichi asked, "What happened? We heard screaming."

Turning to look at his underclassmen, Oikawa smiled at both Kindaichi and Kunimi. "Just a little revenge against sneaky teammates," he explained as he scooped up another couple of handfuls of snow to pack together.

"Oikawa!" Iwaizumi called out as he rounded the corner of the gym again, bending over to grab what snow he could. "I need cover!"

Oikawa picked up several pre-made snowballs as he joined in on the fray. Mattsun was the first to come around the corner after Iwaizumi. Though even with the nice, big target he made, Oikawa still missed him. And it was only by luck that Makki-chan avoided the snowball meant for Mattsun considering he was hot on his partner's heels. Volleyball was Oikawa's forte. Snowball fights, not so much.

Turning to look at Oikawa, Iwaizumi gaped. "What the hell was that throw?"

Not having a real answer, Oikawa stuck out his tongue and tried again. And again. He eventually managed to hit Mattsun's shoulder, but it didn't seem to make much of a difference in the battle's grand scheme. With a sweet tone, Oikawa asked over his shoulder, "Would my underclassmen like to help by making some snowballs?"

"No gloves," Kunimi answered for both himself and Kindaichi from where they were still watching the third years' fight it out in the courtyard. "And we already changed for practice."

Oikawa hummed. Well, he certainly wasn't going to make them come outside in the snow while wearing their shorts. Picking up another snowball, he aimed as best he could at Makki-chan and let it fly. The only problem that was between his aim and the moving targets out in the open, the snowball ended up connecting with the back of a head of black spiky hair. Everyone involved seemed to freeze in that moment.

"Uh oh," Oikawa heard Kindaichi mutter.

"Friendly fire," Kunimi added.

When Iwa-chan turned to face him, Oikawa took an unconscious step back. Dropping the remaining snowballs he had in his arm, he held up his hands in surrender and smiled. "Now now, Iwa-chan, it was an accident." It wasn't a second later that a snowball connected with his chest.

"Oops," Iwaizumi deadpanned. "It was an accident."

Hanamaki grinned up at Matsukawa as he said, "Looks like we have a turncoat."

The next few seconds were a flurry for Oikawa in more ways than one. Mattsun and Makki-chan jumped in on Iwa-chan's attack and began to pelt him with their remaining snowballs. He was pretty well covered and trying to block what he could, but it was one final hit to the face that made him lose his footing and fall backwards in the snow.

Luckily for Oikawa, that was about the time Coach Mizoguchi appeared behind Kindaichi and Kunimi to call outside, "We still need to have practice sometime this morning, _children_."

Hanamaki and Matsukawa managed to look at least a little sheepish, though not at all apologetic, as they each took Oikawa by and arm and pulled him back to his feet. "Up we go, Captain," Hanamaki said before releasing Oikawa and brushing some of the snow off of his clothes.

Oikawa was already in full pout by the time Iwaizumi got to him. "I think that last snowball was mine," he confessed as he reached up to knock some snow from Oikawa's damp hair. He looked over the taller boy's face where the snowball had hit and frowned at the obvious red mark left on Oikawa's cheek. "Sorry about that."

He wanted to be mad. He wanted to pout more. But anytime Oikawa got an actual apology from Iwa-chan, all of that faded away soon after. With a small hum that they both knew was acceptance, Oikawa began walking over to where he and Iwa-chan had left their bags. "I don't know how you manage to make snow feel so hard, Iwa-chan. It's an impressive and horrible talent."

"Shut up and come here a minute." Iwaizumi took Oikawa by the elbow and turned him so that he could inspect his cheek again. The frown he'd been wearing before deepened. "Shit," he swore under his breath. "I think that might bruise."

"What?" Oikawa cried, suddenly concerned for his complexion. He lifted his fingers to the side of his face and winced when they touched on the tender skin.

"Come on," Iwaizumi sighed as he grabbed his bag from Oikawa's hand and tugged the setter after him. "Let's explain what happened to Coach and then we'll go to the infirmary and get an ice pack for your face. At lease we can keep it from swelling or turning into a black eye."

It was after a very disapproving look from their Coach that the Head Coach waved them on their way, though Iwaizumi expected there to be some sort of lecture later. And once they told the nurse what happened, Oikawa had gotten his face checked, been given an ice pack, and sent back on his way.

When they were finally in the club room to change, Oikawa set aside his ice pack, checked the mirror on the inside of his locker door, and whined, "It's going to look like I got in a fight."

"It's not that bad," Iwaizumi told him, though he did still feel a little guilty about the whole thing.

"People are going to think I'm turning into a delinquent, Iwa-chan."

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes as he pulled his practice shirt over his head. "They will not." Grabbing his shoes from his bag, he walked over to Oikawa and tugged the taller boy down a few inches by the neck of his shirt. Carefully, so that he didn't press too hard, he planted a quick kiss on Oikawa's injured cheek. "Finish changing and get to the gym. And don't forget that ice pack."

"Iwa-chan..." Oikawa breathed out before he smiled, bright and genuine. The smile was short-lived however when it lifted his cheeks and made him flinch. Iwa-chan laughed, and even though he was laughing at him, Oikawa didn't mind so much. Anytime Iwa-chan laughed made him feel warm inside, and he suddenly didn't mind quite as much that he'd have to come up with a better excuse than a snowball fight when their classmates eventually asked what happened to his face.


	4. SouRin (Free!)

Sousuke knocked on his neighbor's door, more than a little concerned about the smell seeping out into the hallway. When there was no answer or any other response, he knocked again, a little more urgently. He was just considering calling the fire department when the door finally flung open to reveal his neighbor on the other side, apron stained with no telling what and more than a couple of burns on his hands.

"Yeah?" He asked, obviously irritated.

"I could smell something burning and wanted to make sure nothing was on fire," Sousuke explained as he peered into his neighbor's apartment and caught sight of the kitchen. He had to cover his mouth in an attempt to hide his laugh. "Cooking?"

"Ha ha, yes, it's very funny," the redhead groused as he glared back over his shoulder at the disaster his kitchen had turned into. "I drew the short straw and have to host Christmas for my friends this year. I should've just ordered out, but no, I figured 'how hard could it possibly be?' and now I'm stuck with this mess and it's too late to do anything else and..." He groaned as he ran his hands over his face and smeared something red and slightly blackened over one cheek.

They really didn't know each other beyond the occasional hello in the hallway, but Sousuke felt bad for the guy. When a few thin trails of smoke began to leak from the oven, he stepped into the apartment without thinking much more about it. "Watch out," he said as he brushed passed his neighbor, only half listening to his confused protest.

He quickly grabbed an oven mitt and covered his nose as he opened the oven to a small billow of smoke. Grabbing the tray of rolls-turned-charcoal, he set them on an open cooling rack on the counter, turned off the oven, and opened the closest window. He was able to fan a lot of the smoke out the window with the help of a hand towel, but the smell still lingered. Probably would for a while.

"So," he sighed as he looked around the kitchen again and finally turned to face his neighbor who was still standing on the sidelines. "I don't think we've actually met. I'm Sousuke. Yamazaki Sousuke."

"Matsuoka Rin."

"Well, Matsuoka," Sousuke took a moment to peek into various pots and pans and just generally survey the damage done. "I don't think your meal is completely beyond saving. I could probably salvage some of it if you want some help."

Looking around at the mess he'd managed to make so far, Rin sighed, "That would actually be great."

"Okay," Sousuke said as he went to the sink to wash his hands. "Let's start by finding out what we can fix and what we can't. What were you trying to make?"

"Some of my mom's recipes." Rin moved to pick up several printed recipes off of his small breakfast table. "She always made cooking look easy, so I thought I could pull it off too. There's a lot more time and space management involved than I planned."

Sousuke grinned as he took the recipes from Rin so that he could try to figure out what was what, but then he caught sight of Rin's hands again. "How'd you get those burns?"

Waving both hands vaguely at the various messes around them, Rin said, "I don't know. They just sort of happened."

"They're shiny. Did you put something on them?"

"Butter." When Sousuke immediately looked slightly horrified at his answer, Rin asked, "What? Isn't that what you're supposed to do?"

" _No_ ," Sousuke stressed. "Where did you hear that?"

"I don't know!" Rin threw up his hands. "Somewhere? I know I've heard that somewhere before."

"Then someone, somewhere, is trying to give you an infection," Sousuke told him. "Do they still burn?"

Rin gave him a _duh_ look. "Well, yeah, they're burns."

"I'll tell you what," Sousuke started as he set aside the recipes and stepped closer to Rin. He untied his apron and started lifting it over his head as he said, "You give me this and I'll handle the kitchen. You go clean the butter off your hands-gently-and keep the burns under cold water until the burning dies down. It'll probably take a few minutes."

There wasn't much argument on Rin's part as he did what Sousuke told him, and once he was on his way to the bathroom, Sousuke set to work. The rolls he'd pulled out of the oven were dumped in the trash, but Sousuke turned the oven back on and shut the door when he found another bag of frozen rolls in the freezer. Extra water was added to some pots, oil to others, and all of them were thoroughly picked over and stirred to remove any burned and scorched parts. A few taste tests, some seasoning adjustments, and a good wipe down of the counters later, and Rin's kitchen was starting to look like a kitchen again. It still smelled a little off, but there was only so much that Sousuke could do for that.

Sousuke was just setting aside the last of the dishes he'd been washing to dry when Rin finally made his way back into the kitchen. He was in a clean set of clothes and tying his slightly damp hair back into a short ponytail.

"I hope you don't mind, but I went ahead and took a quick shower." When Sousuke didn't say anything, he felt a small tug of nervousness at his stomach. "When I got to the bathroom and actually looked at myself, well, I hadn't realized I'd made that much of a mess. When I found...something, sauce maybe? I don't know, but I found something in my hair and couldn't just leave it there."

Shaking his head and trying not to stare at Rin's now clean face, Sousuke waved off his explanation. "It's fine. I think I have most everything squared away now, anyway. How are your hands?"

Lifting his hands, covered in red splotches here and there, for inspection, Rin said, "Not too bad. Doesn't hurt as bad anymore." He walked over to the kitchen, noting that it was much cleaner than when he'd left it, and started looking at the revived dishes. "Holy shit," he mumbled. "This looks a _lot_ better than what I was doing."

"Cooking really isn't that hard."

"That's only what people who can actually cook say."

Sousuke smirked. "I could teach you sometime. At the very least, I can show you how to boil water without scorching the pot."

"Yeah yeah, make your jokes," Rin rolled his eyes. "Since you kind of saved me here, I guess I have it coming."

"Really though," Sousuke said a little more seriously. " _Someone_ should show you how to at least cook for yourself."

"I can cook for myself," Rin defended. "Just not for a group of people."

Sousuke outright laughed at that. "Sorry, but the frozen meals I found in the freezer don't count. I mean actually making a meal for yourself from fresh ingredients."

Settling in a seat at his breakfast table, Rin made a face at Sousuke's broad back as he thought over his next words. "You wanna stay for dinner?" He finally offered.

Sousuke turned to look at him to see if he was serious and saw the way the tips of Rin's ears were turning red. Looking back to the sauce he was stirring, he said, "This was supposed to be just you and your friends, right?"

"Yeah, well, considering you're the one who made dinner edible, I don't they'd mind you joining us." When Sousuke didn't answer, he continued, "You just live across the hall. Go freshen up, come back, and eat with us. They'll be here soon."

Tapping his spoon on the edge of the pot before setting it aside, Sousuke looked at Rin and asked, "You sure?"

"Yeah, definitely."

"Okay then," Sousuke agreed as he untied the apron he'd taken from Rin earlier. He draped it over the back of a nearby chair before unrolling his sleeves. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He was almost to the door when he stopped and looked back at where Rin was peeking in pots again. "Oh, and _don't_ touch anything until I get back."


	5. KuroKen (Haikyuu)

Kenma kicked his shoes off as soon as he got home and gave a little shiver as he slipped out of his coat.

"How was your day?" Kuroo asked as he peeked his head around the corner to look into their apartment's entryway.

"It was a day," Kenma shrugged. "Same as usual."

"Well, come here," Kuroo grinned as he waved Kenma over. "This'll make you feel better." He waited for Kenma to join him, his socked feet padding lightly across the floor. "Ta da!" Kuroo presented with a flourish, arms wide to gesture to the whole of their small living room. "I decorated for Christmas."

Looking around the room, Kenma decided that Kuroo was using the word "decorated" a little liberally. Their tiny tree, which came pre-lit with tiny lights, was set up on a small folding table and appeared to already have a semi-decently wrapped present under it. The Christmas lights they actually had were tacked up around the perimeter of the room, along the top of the wall, held up at irregular intervals. Some strands of garland were draped over random bits of furniture, and three stockings - one for each of them and a smaller one for their cat - were hung from the edge of their TV stand to complete the look.

It wasn't until Wander, their Munchkin, came into the room wearing a new collar with little jingle bells on it that Kenma cracked a small smile. Leaning down to scoop up the cat, Kenma started working to take the collar off with one hand.

"Oh, come on!" Kuroo protested with a grin. "He likes it."

"Somehow, I doubt that." Once the collar was off, Kenma tossed it onto the coffee table and ran his fingers through the fluffy fur around Wander's neck.

"What do you think of the living room?" Kuroo asked from where he stood next to Kenma, also reaching out a hand to scratch the top of the cat's head.

"It's nice," Kenma answered. "And it saves me from having to decorate when our mom's come over."

Kuroo laughed before shaking his head at Kenma. "I should have known that's what you'd appreciate most about it." Glancing up over Kenma's head, he feigned surprise and gasped, "Oh, but would you look at that."

Tilting his head up, Kenma saw a little sprig of greenery taped to the doorway just above them. "What's that?"

" _That_ is mistletoe. And you know what you're supposed to do when you're under mistletoe with someone else, don't you?"

"I do," Kenma nodded. "But that isn't mistletoe. That's holly."

"What?"

"Mistletoe berries are white. Those are red. Mistletoe leaves are also rounder than that and not pointy," Kenma explained.

Kuroo frowned. "But when I asked, Bokuto said that was mistletoe."

"Bokuto said?" Kenma questioned. "That probably should have been your first clue."

"Well, can't the symbolism count for something?" Kuroo asked with a suggestive edge to his voice, trying to get things back on the track he wanted.

Gently setting Wander back on his feet, Kenma rocked onto his toes and stretched his arms above him to where the holly was taped to the doorway. "Symbolism, hm?" Once he was back flat on his feet, he taped the little sprig to the front of Kuroo's shirt, careful not to prick himself or Kuroo on the leaves. "Merry early Christmas, Kuroo."

"Thanks?" Kuroo said, more than a little confused but having long ago learned to roll with the little things Kenma did. "What's this for?"

Kenma's cheeks went a little pink, and Kuroo didn't miss the way his sock-covered toes started curling against the floor. In a softer voice than he'd used before, Kenma explained, "A couple of the meanings for holly are "defense" and "domestic happiness" and those are things that you mean to me. You go out of your way to do things you know will make me happy, and you've protected me from other people and from myself for almost as long as I can remember. So I guess holly is a lot more appropriate than mistletoe, anyway."

Kuroo stared down at Kenma and could feel the warm tightness in his chest that Kenma always managed to give him. He wondered if his small boyfriend planned out things like that, but it didn't seem likely. When it came to him, Kenma didn't usually _plan_ his interactions like he did with other people. He just _did_ and _said_ things. And Kuroo couldn't decide if that made it sweeter or not.

"Come here," Kuroo ordered as he opened his arms. "I'm going to hug you now."

"No," Kenma said as his blush darkened. Instead, he picked up Wander again from where the cat had been rubbing against his ankles, and headed for the couch.

"Kenma, that was adorable and touching and I'm going to hug you. Probably kiss you too." He was on the couch next to Kenma seconds later and gradually pushing Kenma closer and closer into a laying position.

"Wait, Kuroo, don't," Kenma tried to stop the larger man before letting go of their cat before he was squished between them. "Kuroo, the holly is still-ouch!"

Pulling back quickly, Kuroo tugged the holly free from his shirt. "Sorry, I got excited and forgot," he smiled down apologetically. He dipped his head down to plant a kiss against Kenma's chest where the holly had pricked him. "Sorry," he apologized again with a kiss to Kenma's forehead. Moving lower, he kissed Kenma's mouth and smiled at the small hum that made Kenma's lips vibrate against his. "I love you, Kenma," Kuroo said gently when they parted.

Kenma pushed his face into Kuroo's shoulder to hide his face as he spoke into the fabric of Kuroo's t-shirt, "Love you too."


End file.
